Viewers Praise Norwegian War Film Based on True Story With a Perfect Score on Rotten Tomatoes

Norway’s latest war film, Number 24, is receiving widespread praise from audiences and critics alike.

The 2024 biographical feature tells the story of Gunnar Sønsteby, one of Norway’s most celebrated resistance fighters during World War II. Directed by John Andreas Andersen and produced by Motion Blur, the film premiered in Norway on October 30, 2024, following special early screenings in Flekkefjord, Oslo, and Rjukan.

The film tracks Sønsteby’s journey from the 1940 campaign through the major sabotage operations and covert missions of the Oslo Group during the war.

It frames these events through the perspective of an older Sønsteby, played by Erik Hivju, as he recounts his experiences to students in Rjukan. Sjur Vatne Brean plays the young Sønsteby, while Lisa Loven Kongsli, Magnus Dugdale, Benjamin Myhre, Philip Helgar, and Ulrik William Græsli round out the cast portraying key figures from the resistance.

After its theatrical release, Number 24 became available on Netflix earlier this year and quickly became the most-streamed film in Norway during its opening weeks. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an impressive 100% approval rating from critics based on 11 reviews.

You can check out the trailer on YouTube.

Critics are praising the movie for its intense and thoughtful portrayal of Sønsteby’s life. One review called it “a gripping, often violent thriller that highlights the best and worst of humankind.” Another commented, “This biopic about Gunnar Sønsteby, the most highly decorated citizen in Norway, explores the moral grey areas during war under brutal invading forces. Switching between the past and the present, the film sensitively contrasts justice and necessity.”

Additional reviews note that the film “finds many ways to illustrate how the battle is always bigger, even if the people fighting it are not larger than life.”

Number 24 is being celebrated not just for its historical accuracy, but also for its emotional depth and strong performances. It shows how one individual’s courage and moral choices can have a lasting impact in times of war.

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